Britain needs Commonwealth allies more than ever
The start of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa offers a golden opportunity for the UK Government to both present an ambitious agenda for the Association and a confident account of itself on the international stage.
A new report by Policy Exchange, “One Family: Harnessing the Strategic Potential of the Commonwealth”, backed by former prime minister of Canada, the Rt Hon Stephen Harper PC, warns that the UK cannot afford to overlook the Commonwealth’s economic and diplomatic value in an increasingly contested and volatile international system. In recent times, the Commonwealth has drifted to the margins of international relations – with some in the UK even dismissing it as “Empire 2.0”.
The reality is that the Commonwealth is a voluntary international association which brings together a third of the world’s population, incorporating some of its fastest-growing economies and dynamic cities on Earth. Members are free to leave at any point – but would lose out on the wealth of trade and investment opportunities in the process.
Known as the “Commonwealth Advantage”, investment is 27 per cent higher between Commonwealth countries bilateral trading costs are on average a fifth lower due to shared language, parity of legal systems, and compatible administrative regimes. Contrary to it being an outdated irrelevant relic of British imperialism, the Commonwealth now includes countries which have no colonial links to the UK – such as Rwanda, Mozambique, and Namibia. The fact that the two of the newest members of the Association are Togo and Gabon – two former French colonies – was a soft-power victory for modern Britain which went largely unrecognised here.
Indeed, there is a fundamental lack of national self-confidence and a paralysing culture of self-flagellation in the UK, which means much of the goodwill and affection which exists towards Britain within the Commonwealth goes underappreciated. Multi-country polling for the report finds that three in five members of the Indian public believe that the UK does more good than harm in the world, with the majority of Nigerian people also being of this view. The figure falls to under half – 47 per cent – among Britons themselves.
There is a certain appreciation of traditional British institutions such as the royal family which exists in many of the Commonwealth’s Asian and African members – independent, self-governing nation-states which appreciate the role that the late Queen Elizabeth II played in spearheading the transition from imperial control to voluntary association.
King Charles III, through the King’s Trust Group he formed in 1976, works closely with local partners across the Commonwealth, supporting young people and communities to develop the skills and confidence to make progress and succeed in life. Prince William has supported environmental projects in Commonwealth countries such as India, Australia, Kenya, and the Bahamas, through the Earthshot Prize award he co-founded with Sir David Attenborough.
Modern Britain must not let down its Commonwealth partners by being insecure in its own history, heritage, and traditions. It should rise to the challenge of spearheading the revitalisation of the Commonwealth. The new Labour Government – especially its Guyanese-heritage foreign secretary David Lammy – should consider this objective to be a key pillar of an authentically internationalist and outward-looking British foreign policy.
There is a chance for it to demonstrate its “progressive internationalism” – one that does not ignore but looks beyond the European Union – by putting forward the case for the Commonwealth to be an effective and energetic organisation based on international peace and security, fair trade, socially responsible investment, environmental protection, and maximising the potential of young people.
But it also means embracing the hard truth that stability and security are the necessary foundations of sustainable economic prosperity. If the Commonwealth is to be a truly relevant and respected actor in international relations, it should create a new security and defence co-operation forum – one that encourages the holding of joint and collective military and naval exercises involving member countries which are facing threats to their territorial integrity. This includes Venezuela’s depredations in Commonwealth member Guyana’s oil-rich Essequibo region.
If the current Labour Government is truly “mission-driven”, it will make its mark by leading on a British foreign-policy realignment towards the Commonwealth, recognising the force for good this unique international association can be in areas ranging from trade to security.
Dr Rakib Ehsan is a senior adviser at Policy Exchange